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New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Yahoo Message Number: 100141
After 10 years of towing our 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee we have replaced it with a new 2015 Jeep Cherokee Limited. We have been towing the 2005 with a Roadmaster Blackhawk purchased new with the coach and 2005 Toad. Until last summer the Blackhawk worked flawlessly. Now the driver side inner bar is difficult to push/pull in and out. I am trying to decide if I should try to repair the Blackhawk with the available repair kit or buy a new Falcon All-Terrain bar.  If I am going to buy a new Falcon bar I could consider switching to a Blue Ox if it is a better fit.

Any and all comments appreciated. 
Bob

'05 Intrigue 11872

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100142
I replaced a Roadmaster Sterling tow bar after many years of use. I had the same type of problem with the arms.
I replace with a Blue OX and am very happy that I did. Much easier to use much easier to maintain. My wife loves it. Even she can hookup and disconect with the Blue Ox.

Bo & Kathy Lee

2000 Magna #5896 40 FT

2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Rubicon

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100143
Go to a FMCA rally and Roadmaster will be there and repair your tow bar at no cost has been my experience.  MY tow bar is 11 years old and been rebuilt twice since new.  TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100144
Thomas, do you know what they replaced on your tow bar when they repaired it?

Bob

'05 Intrigue 11872

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100145
Usually you can clean the arms with silicone and work them in and out  repeatedly spraying with silicone and wiping off to remove the dirt. That is  what I have to do to mine about once a year.

Mikee

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100148
If you're anywhere near Vancouver, Wa, it might be worth your time to take the tow bar to the factory and let them overhaul it for you. I did this a few years ago and they returned my towbar to new condition with no charge.

Jim

2005 Inspire #51225

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100149
They rebuilt the struts and installed a new pivot with the 2X2  post.  The second time they re built the struts again.  At the CC rally they used to lubricate the tow bar and clean it.  The Black Hawk I had for the Allure for 6 years  was lubed every year and the struts were rebuilt once.  I much prefer the unit I have now as it has the tension release handles, which the Black Hawk didn't have.  You had to wrestle the Black Hawk  when the unit was torqued not so with the newer units.  TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100164
I don't know about Blackhawk, but the Sterling all-terrain can be put back in good working order when an arm starts to resist movement. One of the arms on mine just got stiff. You can remove the tow bar yokes (that the pins go through.) They are held on by one bolt that has a nylon lock nut. Be sure to put on new nuts when you are finished. Once the yokes are removed you can push the arms out the other end towards the coach and remove them. The tubes and shafts build up gunk on the bushings and cause the arms to get stiff. I used dish detergent and two types of brushes. I got a refrigerator dust brush from a hardware store. It looks like a big bottle brush with stiff bristles, but not metal. That just fits into the tubes for cleaning the tubes and their bushings. For the bushings on the shafts, I used a wire brush. Once all that is cleaned up, the arms work great. Of course this won't work if an arm is bent.

I clean the tow bar arms with Simple Green and water in a spray bottle each time I disconnect the tow, but the parts still get gunked up in time. After cleaning I spray them with silicone. This time I reassembled the tow bar without siliconing the parts and they worked fine. Now I plan to quit spraying them with silicone after cleaning and disconnecting the tow. I suspect silicone buildup is the gunk I'm seeing.

George Harper
04 Allure 31093
 

Re: New Toad - Tow Bar Questions

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 100172
Nice tips George... and btw according to Roadmaster, the difference between Sterling and Blackhawk is the weight capacity

www.roadmasterinc.com/products/towbars/all_terrain.html

Blackhawk is rated 10,000 lbs... Sterllng is 6. We have had the Blackhawk for 3 years and we love it. Use it in conjunction with SMI Air Force One... first with the Country Coach and now with the Allegro Bus.

Tiffin recommends Boeshield t-9 lubricant for their hydraulic jacks and we presumed it would be just as good for the Roadmaster. I clean the shafts and then a light coat of Boeshield t-9 and then wipe them down. Great stuff

Joseph Burkle

2010 Tiffin Allegro Bus 43QRP

43' quad slide tag axle ISL 425 HP pusher
formerly:

2008 Country Coach Inspire 360 Founders Edition
Wind-seeker.com